I absolutely love a good Poke Bowl…read more Poke is the Hawaiian word 'to slice' and is essentially a raw fish salad. It consists of raw marinated fish (like tuna or salmon) and is often served by itself, but also on sushi rice with vegetables. Many Poke eateries have been popping up around Auckland recently, so I thought I would go out and try a few, and also share with you my favourite one - Poke Poke in Newmarket. Here are five reasons why I love Poke Poke and why you should visit pronto. 1. The Poke! All of Poke Poke's ingredients and sauces are prepared in-house and taste delicious, fresh, and healthy, plus you will feel great after eating. There are two options available - you can choose from their 'Poke Poke Bowls with Purpose' menu or build your own poke bowl. Do the latter as it is more fun! Here is a lowdown on how to customise your own: Step 1: Base: Offerings include white rice, purple rice and salad or choose to have half and half. I usually go with half purple rice and half salad. I absolutely love the purple rice as it is high in fibre and packed with antioxidants. Step 2: Protein: If you choose the $13.90 poke bowl, you get to choose two proteins. If you choose the $15.90 poke bowl, you get to choose three proteins. If you are want a huge bowl, you can add an extra scoop of protein for $3. I usually go with the $13.90 bowl as this is enough to pleasantly fill me up. They offer many proteins which include sashimi-grade tuna and salmon, plus prawns, sous vide chicken, organic tofu and a seasonal special - on most occasions this has been squid. Step 3: Toppings: I love that Poke Poke's toppings are super fresh and colourful. Toppings include spring onion, cucumber, edamame beans, seaweed salad, seasonal fruit (love the pineapple!), Japanese pickles, surimi crab salad, pickled ginger, plus the following at an extra price: scallops, masago (roe of capelin fish), avocado or mushroom salad. You can choose as many toppings as you want. Step 4: Sauces: Finally, pick a sauce... which can only be one, so choose wisely! My favourite is the Korean gochujang sauce (which I always overdose on when eating bibimbap), but they also offer shoyu, ginger miso, sriracha aioli, kimchi aioli, wasabi mayo, lemon yuzu mayo, beetroot mayo and toasted sesame kewpie. You can also add garnishes to top it off. Lastly, choose to eat in or get takeaway. If you can, eat in, as I find the serving size is more generous and there is plenty of seating available (see below). 2. The fact that they are open for dinner: How many places can you think of that are open for dinner Monday to Saturday in Newmarket, serving possibly the healthiest meal? I love that Poke Poke is open until 8pm six days a week. I often go to Event Cinemas on Broadway, and on one occasion, a group of us had dinner at Poke Poke before watching a film. It is a great place to have dinner, as you know you are getting a healthy, delicious and affordable meal. While they do not have a liquor license, they serve a wide range of non-alcoholic beverages (see below), plus we took a beer into the cinema anyway, so no worries there! 3. The Decor and Layout: Walking in, the space is clean and light. The design is minimalist, with white washed and tiled walls, hanging plants and modern lights. I love the life-size print of the orange Combi van and a blue neon sign with the words 'What good shall I do this day?'. There is also plenty of seating - wooden bar stools and tables at the front, a long table plus couch seating at the back which is perfect if you are dining in a group of more than two. 4. The Drinks: Do not even think about sitting down without ordering a cup of their miso soup. At $2, it is super cheap and goes perfectly with your poke bowl. There is also a wide range of drinks to suit everyone's tastes, including green tea (also $2), Karma Cola drinks, organic kombucha, organic juices, coconut water and bottled water. 5. The Location: Situated on Remuera Road, Poke Poke is in a prime location. It is right opposite Newmarket Train Station (so easy to get to if you are coming from the city), there is a bus stop right outside and loads of street parking nearby. It is also close to Nuffield Street and the many shops on Broadway, so it is the perfect spot for lunch or dinner after a morning/afternoon of shopping. If you are looking for a healthy, delicious and good for the 'gram meal, plus welcoming and friendly staff, then no doubt you will be dreaming daily about your next visit to Poke Poke.

Beautiful and affordable. If you are eating a veggie meal you don't need to add any protein and can…read moreget edamame (instead of tofu) and it's $10.99. Really fresh food!

Loved it!!! Had our first meal at Depot after arriving in…read moreAuckland, New zealand. The food was absolutely delicious. Every bite is unexpectedly delicious. We had falafels and the roasted eggplant. The sauces are amazing. We ended up ordering more of the same dishes as they were so good. We are going back for dinner tonight with friends as we have to try more of their dishes. The service was warm and friendly. The atmosphere was relaxed and dining al fresco was great at lunch time.

One of the best meals that I had in Auckland! So good in fact that I went a second time!!! They…read moredon't take reservations but both times it was not difficult to get in. They do close early, 9pm, so show up earlier if you are American and like to eat out late. Great atmosphere and the staff are very friendly. Loved my experiences here. Food was amazing.

Ok time for a break down!…read more Pros: -The ONE star I gave them is for the big clean sized restaurant. But it looks more like a bar located off the interstate 15 to get to Las Vegas. Why u may ask!?! Because it's dark, alcohol all over the walls. There menu is a black board, I don't want to read what I want to eat! No pictures menu like C.A does it. -Free kids food on weds per kid with per adult purchase. Cons: Shit where do I start!?!... -Double check your order! They got mines wrong.. -Needs Picture Menu -They need to correct their name as Restaurant, Bar AND CASINO!!!! They got a corner full of slot machines, creepy people walking in and out smelling like smoke. (hint the Vegas feeling) -Music needs a more up beat tune, its a Hawaiian restaurant right!?! It don't help that it's dark with rock&roll music playing. -Last but not less!! The PORTION SIZE!!! Is fucked up!!! They try to make up for it by giving you 2x scoops of rice and 2x scoops Mac salad.. $13 for BBQ chicken and all I got was ONE and 1/2 piece of chicken!! Like WTF!?! U run out of chicken back there!!!??? thats there regular size, if u want more u should ordered there ALOHA size.. I guess Aloha means "Large" in some country around the fuckin world!?! Also there Mac salad tasted horrible (just like the states) and how do u mess rice up!?! FYI!! I don't think it's smart to serve the burnt rice that's stuck at the bottom or the side of the cooker! It's like chewing on rocks! ( I will say the chicken tasted Better then they do in the states! But that's it nothing else!!!!!! ) It was bad enough I didn't like L&L in Cali and this crap just took it a whole new level of disgrace to BBQ food.. I honestly think the casino is what's keeping it open! 4:00pm and no one to be found!! Smh I will never step foot in there again.

was like!! daaaaayyyyuum.. i dont know who the other person was but this place is amzishball…read more. nice food, nice people. nice parking lol

These guys are the best! Troy and the staff were fantastic and the food is legendary. Highly…read morerecommend!

Lovely food and good price. Highly enjoyable and very yummy…read more Good service. No comment re ambiance as I usually order via Uber eats

This is not what I think of when I think of poke. The fish was off. Staff was really nice, but I…read morealways feel weird complaining when the food is kind of gross. There's great places to eat around here-- find them!

From the owner: Poké Bar - Ponsonby Roadread more

Service was fast maybe because I was a single. It was busy. It has a look of the old style…read moresteakhouse with wooden paneled walls booths.The sides were limited and I had the "potato log" thing. A steak without a baked potato as a choice is just wrong. I got the Aged Specialty Sirloin $44. It was cooked to my liking on the inside but medium/medium rare but no crust on the outside. Seasoned fare, nothing special. I couldn't believe the gristle wasn't trimmed before cooking. Maybe so the size and weight would look bigger. I have had much better at Chili's. I haven't had a good steak since I moved to Australia from the US, and others have said the same. Their cuts seem to be full of gristle, even all the Spencer Steaks (Ribeyes). I expected on New York, but not on ribeyes or sirloins. I told them my review and they were very apologetic. They called the gristle fat, I like fat, you can eat fat. The offered a Ribeye The Ribeye came medium rare. I instantly could smell teriyaki. It was tender and flavorful no gristle. I do wish it did not have the flavor teriyaki though. A good steak doesn't need teriyaki They were very nice and pleasant to work with me. I originally have three stars I gave it another store for their professionalism.

Our second time there. Did not disappoint. Salmon was perfect. Calamari was equally good. Steak…read moreand Bolognese were delicious. Be aware that the side of veggies has a sauce (partially), but were very tasty.

More like the crap shack. The waiter literally flirted with my seven-year-old niece. I tried to…read moretell the manager about all this and he just said well valid

Having eaten at the Crab Shack in Wellington, we knew this would be a good option for lunch on a…read morecold and rainy day. We just couldn't get warm that day and wanted to explore the waterfront. Right after they opened we stepped inside and were much more comfortable. The restaurant has a proper indoor area, but also an outdoor/indoor area that allows for fresh air while keeping you covered with a glass roof and large heaters. We sat here so we could watch the busy boats and rain outside. We were seated by a nice host and got a funny waiter. We split some warming food, including a delicious hot seafood chowder. It ended up getting busy around lunch; they advertised various lunch specials guaranteed in a short time to cater to office workers in this area of the city. It's also nearby lots of pleasant walking areas. I recommend eating here while visiting Auckland.

If I could give this place a 3.5 I would. We wanted ramen on a cold day in Auckland and TANPOPO had…read morereally good reviews and as a vegetarian I saw a few options so knew we had to go here. We ubered here because as foreigners I did not trust driving and parking downtown in Auckland. We were greeted so kindly by the staff and given menus. I ordered the miso ramen and you could tell it was fresh! We love ramen so we're super excited, the serving size wasn't too huge which was nice. The ramen was less creamy and more watery in a sense. Overall it was good but I wouldn't consider the food amazing! The staff were so sweet to us and maybe some of their other ramen may be better!

1st timer. Tried the Tonkotsu Shio ramen. I asked for it to be extra spicy, and wow it was exactly…read morethat . Small staff that do a darn good job handling the number of customers arriving. The ramen cook especially has great energy greeting and engaging customers, and must be one of the hardest working people I've seen at a restaurant. Hope to eat here again.

Montage is so cool! They've definitely upped the Point Chev coolness by a fair few points. The…read morefirst thing that catches your eye is their awesome sign. It's really chic and stands out from the rest of the run down shops. We came here after going out to dinner at the nearby 'Ragu' and the place was raging! I guess there's not much else around Point Chev so the locals are loving it. And we loved it too! It had such a great atmosphere, really made you want to stay out all night haha. Inside it's a dark but not gloomy environment. There's a huge bar and a few seats dotted around the outside. I love that they have lots of quirky décor around and lots of things to look at. They even serve cocktails in metal milk bottles! How awesome is that.

The first time I went to Montage I admit I had already had a bit to drink. But even this experience…read morewas a good one. Having only opened in the last 6 months or so, Montage is slowly becoming a bit of a local hot spot. Deep red velvet chairs, ornate iron gates, dim lighting - the atmosphere of Montage is quite intimate and while it could be a bit threatening it is the exact opposite. In the afternoon sun it's the perfect place to sit outside and enjoy a cold drink with friends, or alternately enjoy a few shots and vodka and limes after dark. The staff are funny and friendly and make you feel right at home. When my boyfriend and I first went there, despite being inebriated to begin with, the staff were good sports and put up with our jokes and terrible dancing and even helped call us a cab. Though not a great venue if you're in the mood to dance as it's quite small, Montage is an ideal place to meet friends for a few drinks before heading to town.